


the very best is better with you

by byeolbithwa (nojaemnomin)



Series: gotta catch 'em all! [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon, Fluff, Gym Leader Seonghwa, M/M, One-Sided Rivalry, Pokemon Trainer Hongjoong, Rated for swearing, inferiority complex for joong, mentioned Wooyoung - Freeform, the other members don't appear sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23513107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nojaemnomin/pseuds/byeolbithwa
Summary: Hongjoong has a problem, and that problem is Park Seonghwa.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: gotta catch 'em all! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692907
Comments: 1
Kudos: 72





	the very best is better with you

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is set in the Pokemon Universe, but you don't really need any knowledge of Pokemon to understand this!
> 
> I substituted a few animal names for Pokemon (ex. instead of deer in headlights, its Deerling in headlights) but you should still be ale to get context. 
> 
> Maybe I'll write more in this AU in the future, with the other members appearing more than just wooyoung

Hongjoong has a problem. To some, it wouldn’t be a big deal. 

“There are lots of gyms out there, Joongie. Just go and battle at one of them!” His mom would say. 

“It’s not a required badge for the Pokemon League, hyung, why are you being so obtuse about this?” Wooyoung was largely the same. 

None of his friends understood why he was constantly at the Mars Gym in Starlight City, one town over from his own little city of Berryroot. 

Park Seonghwa. That is his problem. 

How the other trainer had managed to come up so fast, become a gym leader after the same amount of years training pokemon as Hongjoong, and yet Hongjoong was so far behind him. Rumor had it, Seonghwa had already been to Unova and Alola to catch wild Pokemon, and Joong had barely left Hoenn. It wasn’t just that though. 

Seonghwa beat him every single time. 

It didn’t matter what type of Pokemon he used, Hongjoong was stuck losing to Seonghwa time and time again. 

The older boy used Fire Pokemon as his gym dictated, and Hongjoong was already far behind enough with his Psychic type. It wasn’t like Seonghwa had exceptionally strong Pokemon either! His main was a Rapidash for fucks sake! 

Hongjoong sighs, staring at the sign for the Mars gym from across the way from the Pokemon Center where he stayed most nights. He liked to help out the nurses when he could, and more often than not, his own Pokemon were in their own hospital beds after a round with Seonghwa anyway. 

He’s broken out of his thoughts by something brushing past his legs, and he smiles, looking down to see his Espeon, her tail curled neatly around her paws. She makes a soft noise, her red gem gleaming from its place on her forehead. 

“Hey girl.” He murmurs softly, reaching out to pet between her ears. The foxlike Pokemon lets out a chirp, bumping her head against his hand, which makes the trainer laugh. “I know, I know. I just really want to beat him one day, you know?” He pets her for a few more minutes before he hears a soft knock on the door of the room, and he stands up, Espeon following him with her eyes from her spot on the floor. 

“Nurse Joy, I said I was- oh.” He stops dead in his tracks, eyes wide. The last possible person he ever expected to see standing before him, black hair messy over his bandana, lips parted slightly like he didn’t expect Hongjoong to actually open the door. 

“What do you want, Seonghwa?” Hongjoong asks, and Espeon growls slightly at the sight of the Gym Leader, pink fur standing up. Hongjoong shushes her before turning back to Seonghwa. 

The black haired leader clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I, uh, hoped we could talk or something. Are your-”

“They’re fine.” Hongjoong cuts him off, curt and to the point, making Seonghwa wince a little bit. “Recovering. Well except Espeon, but she wasn’t injured.” Seonghwa nods, blinking a few times. He looks a little confused, so Hongjoong takes pity on him, opening the door a little bit more. “Let’s talk outside.”

The two trainers walk outside, unaccompanied by their Pokemon. Seonghwa hadn’t brought Rapidash for obvious reasons, and Espeon was better off inside the hospital with Hongjoong’s other party Pokemon, resting. 

The pair sit on the park bench outside of the Pokemon Center, overlooking the glittering span of Starlight City. Hongjoong refuses to look at Seonghwa, a frown on his lips as he thinks of the battle from earlier that day. 

_“Kadabra, use Psybeam!” Hongjoong yells, making Seonghwa scoff._

_“Are you serious? You know that’s not that effective against my Fire type Pokemon, and yet you still make the same stupid mistakes over and over again.” Seonghwa spits out, a cocky grin on his face._

_“What kind of trainer are you, Hongjoong? How can you call yourself a Trainer when you’re so far behind?”_

“I’d like to apologize.” Seonghwa confesses, twisting his ring around on his finger. The sudden conversation startles Hongjoong, silver hair falling in his face as he looks at the other trainer with wide eyes. 

“For what?” Hongjoong asks curiously, pursing his lips at the thought of Seonghwa apologizing to him for something. 

“I was absolutely out of line in the way that I spoke to you today. It was not kind. I was not kind.” Seonghwa confesses, looking out over the lights of the city, hearing the calls of wild Pokemon and the yells and cheers of kids running out to catch what they can. 

“Oh.” Hongjoong says, cursing inwardly at how awkward he sounds. “Uh, I mean it’s not like it’s something I haven’t heard before…” He trails off, knowing how that sounds. 

“Unsurprisingly, that does not make me feel any better.” Seonghwa laughs drily. He pushes his bangs out of his face, a few black strands sticking to his cheeks where they’ve grown too long. 

Hongjoong has known Seonghwa for years at this point. They trained together for years, got their first Pokemon from the same professor over 11 years ago. They’ve seen each other grow up, and yet the rivalry continued, at least for Hongjoong. 

“Did I ever tell you about why I became the gym leader here?” Seonghwa breaks Hongjoong out of his thoughts, and the younger boy shakes his head. Seonghwa breathes out through his nose, almost like a laugh, but not quite there. 

“My father...died. A few years ago.” Hongjoong’s head shoots up to look Seonghwa in the eyes, but the other’s gaze is far away, like he’s remembering the past. “He was helping the professor in another town with some research, when a wild stampede of Tauros came through unexpectedly. My dad saved the professor. You could say it was a real Entei King moment.” He laughs drily, brown eyes shimmering almost like he’s about to cry. “I was in Unova then, and… I heard about it when I came home. I became Gym Leader that day, since I was the most experienced of the family to take it on. My brother, he just breeds, and my other family members haven’t been training nearly as hard as I have been.”

Hongjoong can feel his heart break a little bit for the other boy, and he takes the time the other is speaking to really take in Seonghwa’s features. They hadn’t spoken like this since their fight over 6 years ago over Seonghwa beating him in a battle, and Hongjoong remembers how hurt he was. 

“Do you know why I,,, god it feels terrible to say that I hate you, because I don’t, but… anyway…” Seonghwa shakes his head, turning to face the other boy, brown eyes staring into Hongjoong’s soul. It throws Hongjoong off guard for a second, being so close to Seonghwa. It’s hard to forget the past, even after so many years. 

“You were always better than me.” Seonghwa scoffs, and Hongjoong holds up his hand. “Let me finish please, Seonghwa.” The other backs off, letting him continue. 

“You were always the better trainer. Your Pokemon adore you, and it was easier for you to evolve them because they were so attached to you. I don’t even have my starter anymore, because it hated me. Remember how long it took for me to evolve my Cyndaquil? Months, Seonghwa.” He tries to avoid making eye contact with Seonghwa, but he is relentless. “I always felt inferior to you, to everyone, even though you were my best friend in the entire universe.” Hongjoong can feel himself getting a little bit choked up. “Then we were 15, and I was so confused and I was following you around like a lost Growlithe, and… then you beat me.” Seonghwa sighs, fingers twitching like he wants to hold Hongjoong’s hand or something, but he quickly pulls away. 

“You beat me and I was so angry. I was so frustrated because of my feelings and the loss, and just everything weighing down on me.” He’s word vomiting at this point, and Hongjoong doesn’t know half the shit coming out of his mouth anymore. “So i left after our battle and went back home to train, and you went across the world, and I just became so bitter and jaded, and then you became Gym leader…. I just want to say I’m sorry Seonghwa. I didn’t know. I should have known…” 

“What do you mean, your feelings?” Seonghwa croaks out, his voice cracking like they were 15 again. Hongjoong looks at him like a Deerling caught in headlights. He hadn’t meant to say that, but Hongjoong supposes there was nowhere to hide anymore. 

“I was…. I am…. I don’t even know what it is anymore, but… attached to you, Seonghwa.” He whispers, eyes hidden under his silver bangs, the brazen confidence of his hidden away when he is exposed with no Pokemon. 

“Attached how?” Hongjoong really doesn’t want to have to spell it out for the other boy, not when he’s feeling this vulnerable and without Espeon to calm him down. She helped a lot, with his inferiority and his anxiety. But she wasn’t here. ‘I ask because… I am attached to you as well.” Seonghwa murmurs, dark eyes looking at Hongjoong with a softness that Hongjoong hadn’t seen in years. He’s even more confused now, hands clenching around nothing. 

“I… I don’t even know what to call it, Seonghwa. Hwa.” He amends, calling his old friend by a nickname again. The nickname feels foreign on his tongue, sweet like a berry but with a bitter aftertaste. 

“Joong.” The other replies softly, and he’s scooting closer to Hongjoong, leaving the younger boy speechless as he looks up at Seonghwa, eyes wide. “I do. Know what to call it, I mean. At least for the way… I feel.” Hongjoong blinks a few times, unwavering from Seonghwa’s face. “Just… tell me if you don’t want me to.” He says softly, unnervingly close to Hongjoong. Joong can feel his heart in his throat. Seonghwa is so close to him. For anyone else, this would be too close for Hongjoong’s comfort, but this is Seonghwa. His oldest friend, his best friend..?

His thoughts are broken by a pair of soft lips on his own, and Hongjoong tenses for a second before completely and utterly relaxing into the kiss. He’s heard stories of what it feels like to do this with your destined one, from his mom. It’s not that Hongjoong hasn’t kissed other people, because of course he has. He’s 21. But this. This is different. This is Seonghwa. This is home. 

The kiss only lasts for a moment before Seonghwa is pulling away, dark hair hanging in his face slightly as he looks at Hongjoong, searching his face for an answer, a sign, something. Hongjoong just looks at Seonghwa for a minute, before he feels a radiant smile break out over his face, and he quickly covers his mouth shyly. The action makes Seonghwa burst into giggles and pull the younger boy closer, wrapping his arms around Hongjoong. 

“Did that answer your question?” Hongjoong answers softly. “I think it answered mine.” Seonghwa just presses a soft kiss to the top of the shorter boy’s head. 

“Sometimes actions are better than words, Joongie.” He murmurs softly, before standing up. Hongjoong looks up at him quizzically, an eyebrow raised. 

“What are you doing?” Seonghwa smiles down at him, a happy grin on his face.

“You said you wanted to beat me right? Get the Star badge? We’ve got to get you some Pokemon that can beat Fire type then.” Joong takes his hand, letting the older help him stand up. 

“We?” He asks tentatively, nibbling on the inside of his lip nervously. Seonghwa steps closer and presses another kiss to Hongjoong’s lips, smiling when he pulls back. 

“I’ll take you there. Anywhere. Everywhere. Together.” 

Hongjoong can’t help the laugh that leaves his lips as Seonghwa pulls on his hand to go back into the Pokemon Center. 

He may have a problem, but it sure isn’t Seonghwa anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on twt under @cherrygyus !! thank you for reading


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